Kiana felt like she had been dreaming. In the dream, a monster with a snake’s head and a human body had captured her, baring its bloodthirsty maw as if to devour her whole.
Just then, a crimson eye glared at the creature, and in an instant, the monster vanished into thin air.
What happened afterward was a blur. She only remembered lingering in the dream for what felt like an eternity before finally waking up to find herself back in the wooden cabin’s bed—alone, with no one else in the house.
On the table were food, equipment, and a note left behind by Siegfried.
Though the handwriting was messy, Kiana recognized it at a glance. The message was simple: Siegfried had been forced to leave her for reasons beyond his control, and they could only reunite once she had grown strong enough.
The note told her nothing except that Siegfried was still alive. Frustration, confusion, loneliness—waves of negative emotions crashed over her at her father’s sudden departure. But in the end, she chose to accept reality and began wandering alone.
“He knew that his presence would trigger the awakening of the Herrscher consciousness, so he chose to leave on his own. But he still worried about her safety—that’s why he had Anti-Entropy agents secretly follow and protect her, all while subtly guiding her toward the Far East. Siegfried really went to great lengths…”
Enoxia, who had been keeping a close eye on Kiana’s movements, watched as she traveled eastward, eventually arriving at Vostok.
As a Herrscher, no Honkai beasts actively attacked Kiana along the way. Instead, it was Kiana herself—practicing her gun kata and venting her frustrations—who took the initiative to eliminate hundreds of them.
Over the months of travel, Kiana’s combat skills improved significantly. By sheer accident, she even stumbled upon a method to control Honkai energy. Now, no Honkai beasts spontaneously manifested around her anymore.
“At this rate, she’ll reach the Far East by 2012… Hey, Sirin, want to go to school?”
Sirin, who had been engrossed in a game, was abruptly pulled out of her focus—and promptly lost the match.
“Ugh, I died! This is all your fault!”
“Ah, sorry! I didn’t know you were in the middle of an Abyss run. What score were you aiming for? I can just tweak it for you. Oh, and for the next banner, I’ll set your drop rate to 100%. Guaranteed max constellations in a single ten-pull—how’s that?”
Sirin shot her a deadpan look and set her phone aside.
“Tch, what’s the point if you just cheat for me? Anyway, what’s this about school?”
“Based on the current timeline, Kiana will likely arrive in the Far East by 2011 and enroll at Chiba Academy in Nagazora City for the first semester.”
Sirin blinked in confusion. “She’s European. Why would she go to a school in the Far East?”
“Pfft, isn’t it obvious? It’s all arranged by Theresa and Anti-Entropy. If you want to go, I can set it up. Forging enrollment documents is child’s play for me.”
Sirin’s eyes immediately lit up with interest.
“Can you give me the details?”
Seeing her enthusiasm, Enoxia picked up a tablet, tapped a few times, and handed it to Sirin.
Name: Sirin
Age: 13
Senba Academy, Middle School Division, First Year
…
“Uh… this…”
Sirin stared at the profile Enoxia had created, her expression twisting into the epitome of “old man squinting at phone on subway.”
“What’s wrong? The age? Don’t worry—you and Bella look the part. No disguises needed to pass as middle or high schoolers. Honestly, even if you claimed to be some old lady born in 1986, no one would believe you.”
“Mom’s still a ‘beautiful girl’ at her age, and now I’m the old hag?” Sirin grumbled.
“But this photo… Won’t Schicksal and Anti-Entropy recognize me?”
Enoxia shrugged.
“So what if they do? No matter their reasons, a Herrscher and a Judgment-class Honkai beast willingly pretending to be middle schoolers to experience normal life—instead of wreaking havoc—is something they’d be thanking you for.”
“To them, a Herrscher who’s purely a servant of the Honkai isn’t scary. No matter the cost, they’ll just eliminate it. A Herrscher who fights entirely for humanity isn’t scary either—they’d just treat them like any other person.”
“The truly terrifying ones are Herrschers like me—unpredictable, doing nothing most of the time, but capable of slaughter if pushed past our limits.”
“Even though I can alter my form at will and block all electronic surveillance, even if I strut down the street without a care, Schicksal and Anti-Entropy would actively suppress any leaks about me being the Herrscher of Corruption. Because they know—if I’m unhappy, I can and will launch nukes.”
“So go ahead. You and Bella can walk into human society openly, as yourselves. They won’t lift a finger against you. In fact, they’ll help cover your tracks—after all, they’ll still need your help dealing with future Herrschers.”
Sirin could barely contain her excitement.
“Then… will you come too?”
“Of course. And I’ll use this appearance—well, maybe tweaked to look a bit younger, more like a 13-year-old.”
“What about family records…?”
Enoxia waved her hand dismissively.
“Like I said—I want Schicksal and Anti-Entropy to know the Herrschers are right here. So they’ll handle all the paperwork themselves to avoid raising suspicion with local authorities. Why bother doing it ourselves when they’re eager to clean up after us?”
Sirin leaped off the couch and dashed into the data space.
Watching her go, Enoxia smiled warmly.
“Sirin… lost her parents when she should’ve been cherished by them. She endured inhuman suffering at an age when she should’ve been enjoying school life. I know—more than anyone, she yearns to live like a normal girl, to have the school days she never got.”
“In a way… I’m shaping this imperfect world into the one she wishes for.”
Enoxia stepped into the data space, where Sirin was already eagerly sharing the news with Cecilia. The idea of her daughter attending school like any other girl filled Cecilia with joy.
“If all three of my sisters are going… can I join too?”
The speaker was Ivan, now grown into a graceful young woman. Having visited the Elysian Realm, she had also become quite fond of Elysia.
“Of course. Ivan, you’re at the right age for middle school anyway. And we’d all feel better having you close. If you’re sure, I’ll give Schicksal and Anti-Entropy a heads-up. As a Stigma Awakener, you might attract unnecessary trouble otherwise.”
Ivan nodded obediently.
“I’ll follow Big Sister Enoxia’s lead.”
Enoxia chuckled softly, then turned to Cecilia and Alexandra.
“And you two—no need to look so lost. We’re family. If everyone else is going to the Far East, did you really think we’d leave you behind?”
Alexandra looked puzzled, but Cecilia seemed to realize something.
“Remember my deal with World Serpent? By 2012, your two new bodies—crafted from Soul Steel—will be fully prepared. ♪”
